The United Kingdom government has released details of a new law that will prevent asylum seekers coming by unauthorised means, such as small boats across the English Channel, from entering the country.
Home secretary Suella Braverman admitted on Tuesday that the government had pushed the boundaries of international law with a bill labelled the “Illegal Migration Bill” that will bar asylum requests by anyone who reaches the UK by irregular methods, and allow the authorities to deport them to their home country or a safe third country that could be Rwanda if the terms are finalised successfully. However, critics have slammed the planned law as unworkable and inhumane.
Illegal arrivals will be detained without bail or judicial review for the first 28 days after their arrival, according to the law.
The legislation will bar refugees and migrants from using modern slavery statutes to challenge government removal decisions in court. They will be barred from accessing the UK, claiming asylum, or applying for British citizenship for the rest of their lives if they are deported.
Only children, those deemed too ill to travel, and those facing a real risk of severe and irreversible harm will be permitted to seek asylum in the UK.